In the prior art, various and different types of illuminated displays have been proposed for building or house addresses. In U.S. Pat. No. 4,611,265 to Davis, a lighted address display is disclosed which utilizes translucent material and opaque numbering to back light the address. This patent also discloses an additional emergency light circuit arranged in parallel with a lamp that illuminates the address display.
In U.S. Pat. No. 4,254,457, an illuminated construction for display of a house number or the like is disclosed which is constructed from simplified multiple function extruded and molded components. This sign construction uses back lighting to illuminate the numerical indicia made of a transparent material.
Drawbacks of prior art address illumination systems include an unappealing design for attachment to a building surface caused by the bulky box-like structures required for back lighting. Furthermore, since either the numbering or the surrounding material must be transparent or translucent to facilitate illumination, ornate numbering using materials such as brass and/or wood typically used in more expensive houses cannot be readily used. The prior art illuminated sign constructions are also more expensive and complex to manufacture given the various components required for back lighting.
In view of the disadvantages of the prior art address displays discussed above, a need has developed to provide an address display system which provides improved visibility and aesthetic appeal. In response to this need, the present invention provides a system utilizing direct illumination and including features having improved aesthetic appeal and increased visibility.